One of my professors used this at the beginning of most American Lit tests, a little ditty –
“I may well be a flop at this line of endeavor. Columbus too thought he was a flop, probably, when they sent him back in chains. Which didn’t prove there was no America.” Saul Bellows in The Adventures of Augie March.
I never read the book, it’s not on my shelf, I can’t be sure that the quote is exact, that’s the way I copied it down from the test sheet, years ago. Paying attention in class could sometimes supplant the need to actually read the book – not that I know anything about that myself.
I was sitting in the apartment’s office, manning the phones, pretending like I was a “leasing consultant” and trying to conjure up an image of what I should look like. The weather got nice, and I thoughtfully wore shorts. There’s another leasing agent, met her briefly once, a few doors down. I’m pretty sure I don’t look like her – maybe the hair – but that’s about it. Business suit. Pure Spanish. Me? I’m working on learning a few words of Japanese and some Portuguese.
I found out that “hola” in Spanish is identical to “hola” in Portuguese.
I moved myself out in the sun to talk on the phone with the boss, and to “supervise” some maintenance work. Means I watched while two sturdy females hoisted a refrigerator up the stairs. I got tired just watching. Three flights. Glad they knew exactly what they were doing.
A future former tenant popped around with some fresh, organic produce. I sat in the sun and carved up one of the oranges, and proceeded to enjoy the afternoon’s delicacy. Nice guy to chat with. It was a perfect little shot of vitamin C in the middle of the afternoon. We talked about war and peace, living simply, and web pages – and, of course, [hi boss> his lease termination.
Homeward bound, I thought about that quote, though, when I anticipated the e-mail. The subscription set-up is working properly, near as I can tell.
$2.95 is a bargain. Costs less than:
10. A 44-ounce diet coke, a bag of chips, a candy bar plus a lottery ticket from a convenience store
(looks suspiciously like my dinner)
9. Two breakfast tacos at Rapido Taco or Mi Madres
8. A pack of American Spirits (Medium, in the box)
7. A newsstand copy of Texas Monthly
6. A Venti skinny half-caf mocha latte
5. A six pack of Lone Star “tallboys”
4. Afternoon matinee movie ticket
3. Most paperback books
2. Dinner at Sonic
1. (what else goes here?)
